Przykładowy test CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

The revised CPE exam will be introduced for the first
time in December 2002. That is why we are not giving
samples of past papers of current CPE exam (last sitting
June 2002) .

All the samples come from Cambridge Certificate of
Proficiency in English 1 and Cambridge
Certificate of Proficiency in English 2 published by
Cambridge University Press in 2002. Cambridge University
Press is the only official publisher of CPE papers from
UCLES.

If you want to approach the Cambridge Certificate of
Proficiency in English (CPE) with confidence you need to
familiarise yourself thoroughly with the new format and
content of the revised exam - and you need to practise
examination techniques using genuine material such as
the CPE papers which have been specially prepared for
publication by the University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). They provide the most
authentic ex- amination practice available.

The Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
examination consists of 5 papers, each of which has
equal weighting of 20% of the total marks.

Paper 1 (Reading) and parts of Paper 4 (Listening )
are marked by computer scanning of the answer sheet.

Paper 1 Reading (1 hour 30 minutes)
This paper consists of four parts. Each part
contains one or more texts and a comprehension task. The
tasks test candidates' ability to understand the meaning
of written English at word, phrase, sentence. paragraph
and whole text level. There are 40 questions.

Part 1
Four option multiple-choice lexical cloze. Three
short texts (total 375-500 words), each with six gaps.
There is a choice of four possible answers for each gap.

Example
For questions 1-18, read the three texts below
and decide which answer (A, B, C or D)
best fits each gap. Mark your answers on the separate
answer sheet.

Othello

The transfer to London from Stratford of an
exceptional production of Shakespeare's play Othello
allows me to make (1) .... for an unfair review that I
wrote when the show opened last spring. Back then I
complained that Ray Fearon was too young to play the
title role and I was guilty of running down his acting.
I still think it's a distortion of the tragedy to remove
the age difference between Othello and Desdemona but I
eat my (2) .... about the rest of Mr Fearon's
magnificent performance. Indeed the whole cast is
magnificent. Memorable scenes include the one where
Cassio's competitive games with the other young officers
get dangerously out of (3) .... , and the moment when
Iago begins to lose control and has to struggle to get a
(4) .... on himself. And I challenge anyone not to be
(5) .... to tears during the scene where Emilia prepares
Desdemona for bed. The (6) .... and tension throughout
are terrific. Do not miss this production.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 2
Four option multiple-choice. Four short texts on
the same theme (total 600- 900 words) with two
multiple-choice comprehension questions per text. You
have to choose the best answer.

Example
You are going to read four extracts which are all
concerned in some way with language and literature. For
questions 19-26, choose the answer (A, B,
C or D) which you think fits best according
to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer
sheet.

How to Write Poetry

Telling people how to write poetry is a bit like
frolicking through a minefield; spontaneity is the order
of the day, but one false step and a dozen certainties
will blow up in your face. Setting oneself up as a
know-all is dangerous, so I have decided to side-step
the whole issue by saying that, for someone just
beginning to write, no advice can be a substitute for
abundant reading, extensive writing, and the freeing of
the imagination and spirit in whatever way seems
fruitful, barring total anarchy. Some people need their
life to be reasonably secure before a poem will come;
others can write their way out of misery. Some write to
a timetable; others wait for some moment of
crystallisation, a brainwave or slow dawning. All are
right, providing they are not echoing some prescriptive
score. And it's this finding of a tune which is
important, hearing the still small voice inside
yourself, and feeding it, and watering it, and letting
it out for air from time to time; one day it'll be old
enough to take care of itself.

19. How does the writer feel about advising
people on how to write poetry?
A nervous because she feels unqualified to do so
B unhappy at being asked
C wary of giving misleading guidance
D anxious to keep poetry spontaneous

20. What is the writer emphasising when she
says `not echoing some prescriptive score'?
A the need for originality
B the influence of music
C the search for inspiration
D the nature of insight

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 2,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 3 Gapped text. One long text (800-1100
words) from which seven paragraphs have been removed and
placed in jumbled order on the next page. You have to
decide from where in the text the paragraphs have been
removed. There is one paragraph which does not fit
anywhere.

Paper 2
Writing (2 hours)There are two parts to this paper, each with a
writing task of approximately 300-350 words.
They assess candidates' ability to write specified
text types with a range of functions.

Part 1Consists of a compulsory task based on substantial
reading input. After reading the
instructions, you read a short text (maybe a short
letter, article or advertisement) and then write an
article, essay, letter or proposal. The focus is on
presenting and developing arguments, expressing and
supporting opinions, and evaluating ideas.

Example
You must answer this question. Write your
answer in 300-350 words in an appropriate style.

1 Plans have been put forward to build a fast
food restaurant in the historic centre of a town you
know. Many local residents have expressed their
disapproval:

'This means there will be even more traffic in the
town!'

'It will spoil the old-world character of the
place.'

'People come here to escape places like fast food
restaurants, so many people will stop coming here.'

However, you and other residents believe it will
encourage more visitors to the town, increase revenue,
and generate an interest in local history. You decide to
send a proposal to the local
council in which you say why you think the plans
should be implemented.

Write your proposal.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
2, Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 2Consists of one task selected from a choice of four.
One of the choices includes a question on each of the
set texts. The following formats are included here: an
article, an essay, a letter, a report or a review. The
tasks may involve any of the following functions:
describing, evaluating, giving information, making
recommendations, narrating, persuading, summarising.

Example
Write an answer to one of the questions
2-5 in this part. Write your answer in 300-350
words in an appropriate style.

2You read the following in an international
magazine:

Poverty exists in almost every country, and the
difference between the rich
and the poor is growing all the time. What can we do
about this situation?

The magazine has asked people to send in ideas in the
form of a proposal, suggesting ways of helping to reduce
poverty. You decide to send in a proposal.
Write your proposal.

3The local council has conducted a survey
to find out if local residents think that public money
should be spent on a new leisure centre, a new library
or a new playground for children. You have been asked to
write a report for the local council based on the
opinions the residents gave in the survey, and make
appropriate recommendations.
Write your report.

4International Traveller magazine is
running a competition for the best article entitled 'A
Country of Contrasts'. You decide to submit an entry.
The article should describe the contrasts that make the
country an interesting place to visit, and encourage the
readers to explore the country as widely as possible.
Write your article.

5Based on your reading of one of
these books, write on one of the following.
(a) Anne Tyler: The Accidental Tourist
'A dried-up kernel of a man that nothing really
penetrates. ' Write an essay for your tutor in which you
say how far you agree with this view of Macon.
Write your essay.
(b) John Wyndham: The Day of the Triffids
The editor of a literary magazine is asking for
reviews of books which describe events that changed the
world. You write a review of The Day of the Triffids in
which you describe the events and say whether or not the
book gives an optimistic view of human nature.
Write your review.

(c) Graham Green: Our Man in Havana
'Our Man in Havana was written to amuse and entertain
the reader. It has no serious moral purpose.' Write an
essay for your tutor, saying how far you agree or
disagree with this view of the novel.
Write your essay.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
2, Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002
(Examiners' marks scaled to 40 marks)

Paper 3
English in Use (1 hour 30 minutes)There are five parts to this paper (44 questions)
which test your ability to demonstrate knowledge and
control of the language system by completing various
tasks at text and sentence level.

Part 1
Modified open cloze. One text with 15 gaps to
fill, testing grammar and vocabulary. You have to think
of a suitable word to fill each gap.
(15 questions, each worth 1 mark)

Example
For questions 1-15, read the text below and
think of the word which best fits each space. Use only
one word in each space. There is an example at
the beginning (0).
Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS on the
separate answer sheet.

Example:
0 N O T

RELAXATION

True relaxation is most certainly (0) ........ a
matter of flopping down in front of the television with
a welcome drink. Nor is it about drifting (1)
............... an exhausted sleep. Useful though these
responses to tension and over-tiredness (2)
............... be, we should distinguish between them
and conscious relaxation in (3) ............... of
quality and effect. (4) ............... of the level of
tiredness, real relaxation is a state of alert yet at
the same (5) ............... passive awareness, in which
our bodies are (6) ............... rest while our minds
are awake.
Moreover, it is as natural (7) ............... a
healthy person to be relaxed when moving as resting. (8)
............... relaxed in action means we bring the
appropriate energy to everything we do, (9)
............... as to have a feeling of healthy
tiredness by the end of the day, (10) ...............
than one of exhaustion.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 2
Word formation questions. One text with 10 gaps
to fill. Each gap corresponds to a word. The 'stems' of
the missing words are given beside the text and you have
to transform them to provide the missing word.
(10 questions, each worth 1 mark)

Example
For questions 16-25, read the text below. Use
the word given in capitals at the end of some of the
lines to form a word that fits in the space in the same
line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS on the
separate answer sheet.

Example:
0 P S Y C H O L O G I S T S

EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE

According to research by (0) .......... one can
learn a great deal about PSYCHOLOGY
the state of people's relationships by watching how
they say goodbye at
airports. However, it seems that it is not (16)
.......... those in the strongest NECESSARY
relationships who make the greatest display of (17)
.......... at parting. Such RELUCTANT
behaviour is more (18) .......... of couples who have
been together for CHARACTER
a relatively short period of time. There is less (19)
.......... of people LIKELY
in long-term relationships showing strong feelings of
dependency.
This may seem surprising but it is (20) ..........
because the people PRESUME
have been successful in establishing stability in
their relationship
and are able to see the separation as brief and of no
great (21 ) .......... . SIGNIFY

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 3
Gapped sentences. Six groups of three sentences
with a word missing. You have to decide which word fits
into all three gaps. This tests collocation, phrasal
verbs, idioms and meanings.
(6 questions, each worth 2 marks)

Example
For questions 26-31, think of one word only
which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
Here is an example (0).
Example: 0 Some of the tourists are
hoping to get compensation for the poor state of the
hotel, and I think they have a very
.................................... case.
There's no point in trying to wade across the river,
the current is far too
....................................
If you're asking me which of the candidates should
get the job, I'm afraid I don't have any
.................................... views either way.

0 S T R O N G

Write only the missing word in CAPITAL LETTERS
on the separate answer sheet.

26 A key witness can often provide
detailed corroboration, thus having a dramatic
.................................... on the outcome of a
complex legal case.

It's generally agreed that the
.................................... of television in
the modern world is considerable.

Martha Graham played a major role in developing the
theory of modern dance, so extending her
.................................... to a whole new
generation of dancers.

27 My boss is extremely efficient, but
unfortunately she's not always very
.................................... to other people's
worries.

In the play, James Collard gave a
.................................... portrayal of the
artist as a young man.

My brother was always an extremely
.................................... child, and we had
to be very careful what we said to him.

28 Paul Smith has always been totally
.................................... to helping others
less fortunate than himself.

Anna's absolutely
.................................... to her career as a
surgeon; nothing else is really important to her.

The singer George Andrew has
.................................... several of his most
recent songs to his wife.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 4
Eight key word transformations. You have to
rewrite each sentence using the word so that it has a
similar meaning. You mustn't change the word given and
you must use between three and eight words only.
(8 questions, each worth 2 marks)

Example
For questions 32-39, complete the second
sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the
word given. You must use between three and
eight words, including the word given.
Here is an example (0).

Example: 0 Do you mind if I watch you while you
paint?

objection

Do you
.....................................................................................................
you while you paint?

0 have any objection to my watching

Write only the missing words on the
separate answer sheet.

32 Paul's son was driving the car when the
accident happened.

time

The car was
.....................................................................................................
of the accident.

33 It was Nick's advice that saved me from
bankruptcy.

it

Had
.....................................................................................................
have gone bankrupt.

34 The police never actually accused Thomas of
committing a crime.

point

At
................................................................................................
Thomas of committing a crime.

35 Neither of these carpets is any better than
the other.

choose

There's not
.....................................................................................................
these two carpets.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 2,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002
Part 5Two short texts with two questions on each, and one
summary task. The questions focus on the style and tone
of the text, and on vocabulary. For the summary you have
to select relevant information from both texts and write
50 to 70 words.
(4 questions, each worth 2 marks. Summary, worth 14
marks)

Example
For questions 40-44, read the following texts
on walking in the countryside. For questions
40-43, answer with a word or short phrase. You do
not need to write complete sentences. For question
44, write a summary according to the instructions
given.
Write your answers to questions 40-44 on the
separate answer sheet.

Researchers have explored the reasons why so many
people indulge in outdoor leisure pursuits, such as
hiking, in the natural environment. In general, such
individuals appear to have less need for affiliation
with others, and a preference for solitude as well as
high levels of autonomy.
It is possible to make some observations about
motivation from this. There is the need for peace and
relief of tension facilitated by solitude, and
encountering others in the wilderness reduces
satisfaction. Then there is confidence building achieved
by trying out new activities and acquiring new skills,
such as skiing and survival techniques. These can form
an important part of an individual's self-concept and
improve self-esteem. Stimulation can be obtained by a
change in scene, and an opportunity to indulge in risky
activities will enhance this, as in the adrenalin rush
associated with activities such as bungee jumping.
Finally, the natural environment may provide a spiritual
uplift, either due to the qualities of the scenery or
the symbolic connotations of nature as the giver of
life.
Thus, considerable benefits can be gained from
outdoor activities, and a range of facilities should be
provided to meet the needs of the users. Nevertheless,
user satisfaction declines greatly when the outdoor
environment is overcrowded or polluted. The necessary
facilities must be provided in sufficient quantity as
well as quality.

42 What does the writer suggest about the
personality of hikers?

43 Explain in your own words why leisure
facilities need to be 'provided in sufficient quantity
as well as quality'.

44 In a paragraph of 50-70 words,
summarise in your own words as far as possible
what, according to the writers of the texts, makes
people want to explore the countryside. Write your
summary on the separate answer sheet.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
2, Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002
(Total: 75 marks, scaled to 40)

Paper 4
Listening (about 40 minutes)There are four parts to this paper which test a wide
range of listening skills by means of matching, sentence
completion and multiple choice questions. The texts are
a variety of types and length, either with one speaker
or more than one. Recordings contain a variety of
accents, background sounds may be included to provide
contextual information. Each text is heard twice. You
have time to read the questions and to check your
answers afterwards.

Part 1
Three option-multiple-choice questions. You will
hear four short extracts, with two
multiple-choice questions per extract. You have to
choose the best of three alternative answers for each
question. (8 questions)

Example
You will hear four different extracts. For questions
1-8, choose the answer (A, B or C)
which fits best according to what you hear. There are
two questions for each extract.

Extract 1
You hear a radio interview with a woman who runs
a fish farm in Wales.

1 The farmer says she breeds her own fish
because

A it is important for her to be independent of
suppliers.
B her clients require records of the fishes'
history.
C that is the most satisfying part of the
process for her.

2 Why does she say she stays in fish farming?

A Doing her best for her customers is
satisfying.
B Her skills are not transferable to other
businesses.
C She has built up an extremely profitable
business.

Tapescript 1

Interviewer: So, how do you get the fish
in the first place? Do you buy them or breed them
here?
Margot: No, I don't rely on anyone else, I'm
thankfully self-sufficient in juveniles, the young
ones, because I breed my own fish here as this
enables me to give full details of the fishes' origins
to customers. They expect that.
Interviewer: Which part of the whole process
do you enjoy most?
Margot: Really, product development is my
baby, and one has to put one's mind to that
continuously. It's crucial.
Interviewer: The marketing skill that you've
developed here with your fish - would that be
transferable to beef, sheep ...?
Margot: Well, I think it's a mindset, isn't
it? To my mind, producing fish is fantastic, it's a
great satisfaction to do it properly, but you know,
what's the point of producing a wonderful fish if you
haven't got a profitable sale at the end of the day? I
think it comes down to providing a top quality service
for your clients. And I must say, that's really what I
enjoy. That's what keeps me here.

Extract 2
You hear a novelist being interviewed about her
early career.

3 How does she feel about the scarcity of
women writers in literary reviews and journals?

A depressed
B unconcerned
C discouraged

4 Why does the speaker think the novel is a
good vehicle for woman writers?

A The best novel writers have tended to be
women.
B Her own attempts at drama did not meet with
success.
C There is a body of recognised work by female
writers.

Tapescript 2

Interviewer: So, did you feel, when you started
publishing, that women were treated differently from
men, by critics, for example?
Novelist: It never crossed my mind, so
confident was I that I could do it. I think if you start
counting the low numbers of reviews and contributors to
literary journals, you do get a rather dismal answer.
But that didn't worry me. And I think one of the reasons
was that writing novels is, for a woman, the best choice
to make. There was a long tradition behind you. Had I
chosen other forms of literary endeavour like drama,
which I did have a go at and failed, it would have been
very different. There was a huge gap in England between
Aphra Behn, the infamous woman playwright of the
sixteenth century, and the next really successful woman
dramatist, Caryl Churchill, in the 1960s! I was very
conscious in drama of not exactly an establishment, but
all sorts of things I couldn't cope with or got
frustrated by. The novel was uniquely the sphere in
which you felt you had equal billing.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 2
Completion questions. One longer extract with
nine sentence completion questions.
You hear a monologue or interview. You have to
complete gaps in sentences with information from the
recording. Each sentence has to be completed with a word
or a short phrase. (9 questions)

Example
You will hear an engineer giving a talk on the radio
about future developments in robot design. For questions
9-17, complete the sentences with a word or short
phrase.

Currently the field of

9 is providing aerodynamic information for robot
design.

In the past, using the

10 was the only way scientists could study birds in
flight.

The way birds flapped their wings and the arrangement
of their

11 were believed to be the keys to flight.

Scientists are using the design of a

12 to help them build a small robot.

The flying robot could provide the

13 with photographs of the interiors of collapsed
buildings.

The flying robot must move at

14 in order to avoid hitting things.

The size of the flying robot means that the

15 will have to fit in a small space.

Planes were ruled out as models for the flying robot
because of the velocity needed for

16

Engineers rejected helicopters as models for the
flying robot because of the issue of

17 made during flight.
Tapescript 3

By dint of brute force and massive use of
external energy we can outpace all other animals, but
when it comes to sheer finesse and the use of cunning
tricks of aerodynamics, the animal kingdom leaves us
standing. Increasingly, engineers are looking to zoology
for clues on improving performance or making robots that
can cope with harsh environments. But although it takes
modern science to fathom exactly how animals do things,
there's nothing new about the basic principle of trying
to copy nature. For instance would we have tried so hard
to create flying machines if it wasn't for the example
of birds? But in the early days of aeronautical
engineering, scientists had inadequate observation
techniques, they relied solely on the human eye.
Initially, as a consequence of that, they thought that
the secret of how birds flew lay in the flapping
movements that they made and the pattern of feathers
alone. If they'd look-ed at the right aspects of
engineering and bird flight, they would have achieved
powered flight and manned flight earlier.
Interestingly, flapping wings are now making a
comeback. After a century in which powered flight used
only fixed and rotating wings, engineers are
rediscovering the benefits of how insects fly. They're
trying to produce a fitteen-centimetre flying robot,
derived in part from the bee. The potential uses of such
a machine are limited only by the imagination. For
example, it could be used where buildings have collapsed
and there are possible casualties to be rescued. If a
person is trapped and is still breathing, then there is
an opening through which air is coming in and a robot
could fly in through this opening and take a photograph
which would help the rescuers to assess the position and
plan the operation better.
But why model the robot on insect flight at all? The
answer to this is that only an insect is up to the
demands of the job. If you think of working inside
buildings, manoeuvring at low speeds is essential
because otherwise the robot will collide with
obstructions. It will need to be able to hover, because
if it finds something of interest, it will have to stay
still to take a clear picture of it. And finally, and
this is a very important requirement, the robot must fly
in a power-efficient way, because it will be fairly
small so there won't be much space to put in an energy
source. So the first thought of the design team was to
use some conventional design like a fixed-wing forward
thrust, as in the usual plane, or alternatively, rotary
wings, found in a helicopter, and scale them down to
fifteen centimetres. The problem is that planes require
considerable speed to achieve take-off, so they can't
fly very slowly and also they can't hover or manoeuvre
in a very agile way. So would helicopters be more
appropriate? They can certain-ly fly very slowly and
hover and they are very manoeuvrable, but they have
other problems: they generate considerable noise, so
that would rule out any situations where the robots
would need to remain undetected such as in undercover
surveillance or data gathering projects. So, hav-ing
eliminated the tried and tested designs, the question
was what other proven design was there? In 300 million
years flapping-wing insects have certainly proved their
efficiency. They offer agility even at low speed, they
can do amazing aerobatics, they can hover, and unlike
helicopters their flight mechanism generates very little
noise.
There's more to insect flight than just flapping
wings though. The movements of those wings are
remarkably complex. For engineers to create a successful
flying robot they will have to draw on the accumulated
knowledge of zoologists. It's going to be a hard but
fascinating journey of discovery.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 2,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 3
Multiple-choice questions. You hear a discussion
or interview. There are five multiple-choice questions.
You have to choose the best of four alternative answers
for each question. (5 questions)

You will hear an interview with Derek Allen, an
author, about the writing process. For questions
18-22, choose the answer (A, B, C or
D) which fits best according to what you hear.

18 Derek Allen thought his book would be
successful because

A it deals with an unusual subject.
B he did a lot of research for it.
C its packaging was appealing.
D he invested a lot of effort in it.

19 Allen says that writing for radio is useful
because it

A can be good preparation for writing a book.
B makes you popular with a wide audience.
C requires the same dialogue as a book.
D allows you to introduce a variety of
characters.

20 Allen says he uses science fiction because

A it represents his vision of what the future
will be like.
B many events can happen in a short space of
time.
C he wants to make it popular among readers.
D it allows him to explore a bizarre chain of
events.

21 According to Allen, other writers use
coincidence to

A throw light on characters.
B resolve difficulties with storylines.
C make the reader work harder.
D introduce an element of danger.

22 If Allen was a painter, which element of a
painting would he get wrong?

A the background
B the shape of the figures
C the proportions
D the detail

Tapescript 4

Interviewer: ... OK, and now we move to our
section on books and authors. The book we're
discussing today is Travelling in Space and we'll be
discussing it with its creator, Derek Allen. It was
originally presented as a 12-part radio series and it's
a pretty outrageous and satirical science fiction epic
but offers a gleefully pessimistic view of modern
society. A year later, the book of the radio programme
was published and it went straight to the top of the
best-seller list - it sold 10,000 copies in the first
month alone. Derek Allen, welcome. Now, can I start by
asking you what is the essence of its success?
Derek Allen: Of course, it's an unanswerable
question. If one knew the answer, one could bottle it.
The only thing I can say with any degree of certainty is
that, however extraordinary its success may have turned
out to be, there's a little bit of me that isn't
surprised because I actually know how much I put into it
in terms of worry and stress. I mean, we all know the
packaging can be very attractive but it's what's inside
that matters. And, you see, there's a little bit of me
that doesn't expect anything I've written to be any
good, so you work at it a bit more and a bit more, and
you are so determined to pack everything in, so it
doesn't surprise me that people have got so much out of
it in the end.
Interviewer: It's a funny thing, isn't it,
radio and writing books go together, don't they?
Derek Allen: The overlap between radio
listeners and a book audience is absolutely enormous,
very much more so than between a book audience and
television. But it is words. Now the thing is that one
of the strengths of the book is that I originally wrote
it all as dialogue. Now the thing about that is that the
characters, therefore, are forced to tell the story. So
the range of dialogue the characters have to employ is
enormous. The mere fact of getting the characters always
having to be the ones who tell the story, that gives you
a tremendously good backbone for then writing a book.
Interviewer: Absolutely. Now, the thing that
strikes me is that in some ways you are 'sending up' the
craft of science fiction and yet you've become a hero of
the genre. Curious, isn't it?
Derek Allen: As far as I was concerned, I
wasn't 'sending up' science fiction. I was using science
fiction as a vehicle for 'sending up' everything else.
In comedy, for example, a sketch can create some sort of
surreal premise on which a universe is based that will
then last for two or three minutes and then you're on to
the next scene. And I always wanted to say - but what
are the consequences of that surreal premise? So, for
example, right back at the beginning of the story, it
could start with a man whose house is demolished to make
way for a by-pass and so it then becomes conceivable
that the earth then gets demolished to make way for a
hyper-space by-pass. OK, now let's move it on again,
let's give that consequences and of course, once you've
blown up the earth, you are kind of committed to science
fiction!
Interviewer: Yes, and the other thing I notice
is that while most writers avoid situations based on
coincidence, you positively revel in it.
Derek Allen: Yes, well, coincidence is the
thing that for many authors indicates that the plot has
broken down and he is in danger of losing the reader!
But I decided to embrace coincidences. As a coincidence
is difficult to write about and to do it successfully
you have to understand the force that you're dealing
with. For example, I can put characters in great
jeopardy and you have a dilemma, which is, that if the
jeopardy is going to mean anything, then you can't get
them out of it with one bound. So it's got to be
something, something that's going to be of equal weight.
I was watching a TV programme on judo where the
principle is to use your opponent's weight against
himself. So every problem I come up with has to be
resolved by something that is equally implausible!
Interviewer: So is this all clearly delineated
for you before you start?
Derek Allen: Well, no, normally what an artist
would do is rough out the general shape of the picture -
a man's going to be standing here, there's going to be a
donkey over here or whatever and you've got the main
shape of the picture. Then you gradually put in a
background - you rough it out in grey and then you put
in the layers of paint but the first thing that's there
is the shape of it. Now, if I was a painter, I would
start painting in enormous detail down in the bottom
left-hand corner and by the time I got to the top,
everything would be out of scale.
Interviewer: Right, OK well, let's bring in
our guest reviewer now ...

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002

Part 4
Multiple matching. You hear a discussion between
two people. You have to match each of a list of six
opinions or statements to the names of the speakers,
according to who said what. If they agreed about
something you write both names. (6 questions)

Example
You will hear two friends, Kathy and Derek, talking
about films based on 19th century novels. For questions
23-28, decide whether the opinions are expressed
by only one of the speakers, or whether the speakers
agree.

Write K for Kathy
D for Derek
or B for Both, where they agree.

23 In the film Oliver Twist, it was hard to
think of the actors
as the characters they were playing.

24 Film adaptations of the 1930s and 40s
reflect their own time.

25 Film adaptations made nowadays may reflect
current attitudes.

26 The actor sometimes does not match your
idea of the character.

27 The author's viewpoint should be evident in
film adaptations.

28 The film audience are able to reach their
own conclusions about the characters.

Tapescript 5

Derek: Have you seen that new film of Oliver
Twist, Kathy?
Kathy: Yes, I went last night. How about you?
Derek: Saw it Monday. Good, isn't it?
Kathy: Mm, it made me want to read the novel
again.
Derek: Me too, but there were so many actors I
knew, I couldn't forget who they really were.
Kathy: I know what you mean, but I can't say
that worried me. I thought it was great seeing all those
famous people.
Derek: Still, it really brought the world of
the novel to life.
Kathy: Yes, there are so many films based on
novels which end up falling between two
stools, neither a good version of the novel nor
something original.
Derek: You know, it's interesting how, if you
look at some 1930s and 40s films of l9th-century novels,
they're really rooted in the period they were made, in
the way people behaved and related to each other then.
Kathy: Mm, I suppose so.
Derek: And in the last few years, there's much
more effort made to be authentic. Like how people walk.
19th-century clothes are so different from modern ones
that people had to walk differently, and women were
expected to take small steps. But in some old films the
actors moved around as though they were wearing their
own clothes. At least that doesn't happen so much these
days.
Kathy: But maybe if we saw today's films again
in 20 years' time, they'd seem just as dated. It's
because we're so close to them that we can't see that
they're just as much reflections of our own time as the
30s films were of theirs. Maybe they actually show more
about us and our values than about the novel that
they're based on.
Derek: Oh, surely directors and actors now are
aware of the danger, so they actually try to get inside
the minds of 19th-century people.
Kathy: Well, we'll see. But you know what
disturbs me sometimes is when I know the novel and have
a clear picture of a character, and the actor is just
wrong for the part.
Derek: Like when the hero's supposed to be
good-looking and you can't imagine anyone falling for
him.
Kathy: There was one film I had to walk out
of, because the heroine was played as neurotic, and
there wasn't a hint of that in the book.
Derek: Mm. That sort of thing's taking
artistic licence too far - if you're going to adapt a
novel, you shouldn't make any major changes to the
characters or the plot.
Kathy: Actually, another thing that struck me
is that in films I usually miss the author's voice.
Derek: But he's sometimes there as an unseen
narrator.
Kathy: Mm, but in the novels the writer's there all
the time, in little comments, and in films they either
don't appear at all, or hardly.
Derek: Do we need him at all? People make up
their own minds about the characters. They don't need to
be nudged in a particular direction by the author.
Kathy: Do you think that's really possible?
After all, the author's created the character and what
they do, so we're manipulated into reacting to them in
the way he wants us to.
Derek: Look - suppose he approves of corporal
punishment, say, and you don't. You'd judge a father
beating his son differently from the way the author
would.
Kathy: Mm, but maybe it doesn't matter.
Because usually we watch these films as escapism, don't
we? Not as something to take too seriously.

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 1,
Examination Papers from the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate, wyd. Cambridge University
Press 2002
(Total: 28 marks, scaled to 40)

Paper 5
Speaking (about 20 minutes per pair of candidates)There two candidates and two examiners. One is the
assessor (who listens and assesses but doesn't join in)
and the other is interlocutor (who sets up the task,
joins in sometimes, and also assesses). The interlocutor
also has to make sure that one candidate doesn't
dominate the conversations, so that you both have an
equal amount of time to show how good you are at
speaking English.

Part 1 Conversation with interlocutor. The
interlocutor encourages each candidate in turn to
give information about themselves and to express
personal opinions. This part involves general
interaction and social language. (3 minutes)

Part 2 Conversation about pictures. The
candidates are given visual and spoken prompts, which
generate a discussion between them. You'll have pictures
to talk about (but not actually describe): the
interlocutor will tell you what you have to do. This
part involves comparing, decision making, evaluating,
giving opinions and speculating. The interlocutor only
joins in if one candidate is speaking too much. (4
minutes)

Part 3 Long turns and discussion. Each
candidate in turn is given a written question to respond
to. You have to talk for two minutes on the theme of the
question, uninterrupted. After each candidate has
spoken, the interlocutor asks you questions to encourage
a discussion on the same topic. This part involves
organising a larger unit of discourse, developing
topics, and expressing and justifying opinions. (12
minutes)

Example
Speak for two minutes on this topic:

What are your views on doctors and the medical
profession?

keeping your teeth healthy and dentists

the quality of health care in your community

alternative medicine (acupuncture, homeopathy etc.)

Leo Jones, New Progress to Proficiency, Self-study
student's Book ( New for December 2002 specification),
wyd. Cambridge University Press 2002
(Total: Assessors' mark scaled to 40 marks)
The Speaking Test is an opportunity to demonstrate
your level of English . Candidates are involved in a
discussion. Explaining and giving reasons are important
aspects of this, as well as asking each other to justify
their opinions. Try to give a good impression of your
spoken English. Don't just wait to be asked questions -
behave and speak as you would in a real conversation.
Each part of the Speaking test is all based on the same
general topic, but you won't loose marks if you go off a
tangent.